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debow

In a time not so long ago, in a land not so far away lived two teenaged adventurers. One; yours truly, and the other – my partner in crime. After an afternoon of skateboarding at the old Donelson Hospital, we decided to drive down Old Hickory Boulevard, past the Hermitage and arrive in the then incorporated town of Lakewood, known mostly for it’s speed trap by Nashvillians.

But we had heard another story. One of mystery and intrigue. About halfway down Debow Street stood the large, carved tree, locally referred to as the Wizard Tree. Under the cover of darkness, those brave enough to face it arrived to soak in it’s power. The legend was that a man accidentally drove head first into the tree, and upon impact, had a vision of God speaking to him.

A funnier story is that the man on the tree manifested himself after losing a pie eating contest with the devil and would play telephone with people who came to visit him from hell.

The tree was known around town to have powers, and the man on the tree looked much like a wizard, dubbing it the appropriate “wizard tree.” Now friends, those were the days before cell phone cameras when we used our minds for memories so I do not have, nor do I know anyone that has a picture of this tree (if you do please add it to the comments!). But I can tell you one thing: it did exist.

There’s a nice marina bar now over in the neighborhood and I drive by Debow sometimes just to see what’s happening. The tree is no longer there and the street feels different. My adult mind also wonders how a man could have possibly crashed into the tree on such a narrow, small road.

But those thoughts are no fun. I think I’ll just sit on Old Hickory Lake and remember things the way they were.